-People were issued welfare stamps, or tokens called tesserae.
-Romans were given wheat, flour, or bread already baked from other government facilities, and other foodstuff.
-Meat was given out on special occasions with special tokens. -The subsidized staple food of Rome became immediately the weapon of choice for the ruler to stay in high favor with the crowd and to maintain control over the political power.
-Over time, more and more people took advantage over the free food.
-The Roman government spent millions on food and entertainment for the poor.
-Food had a price limit, so that merchants could not overprice the food, making it to expensive for plebeians.
-A congius was the portion of food the Romans received.
-Bread and Circuses- The government gave plebeians free food and entertainment, so they would not start a revolt.
-The food was payed for by Romans taxes. No new tax money was coming in, so they did not have enough to feed everyone.
-Emperor Trajan started the welfare program, and called it Alimenta.
Problem: Too many people were joining the welfare program. The government did not have enough money or food to give away.
Sources:
"The Evening Meal - Ancient Rome for Kids." The Evening Meal - Ancient Rome for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. <__http://rome.mrdonn.org/dinner.html__>.
-American welfare system began during the Great Depression in the 1930’s.
-Many americans are unhappy with the welfare system, claiming that individuals are abusing the welfare program by not applying for jobs, having more children just to get more aid, or staying unmarried so as to qualify for greater benefits.
-Eligibility for the welfare program depends on net income, size of the family, and any crisis situation such as medical emergencies, pregnancy, homelessness or unemployment.
-The welfare system was federal, but control was given back to the states when Congress passed a reform law signed by President Clinton in 1996.
-The federal government gives a grant to each state to start their own welfare program.
-In some states, people in the welfare program are offered coaching in how to prepare for a job, or apply for one.
-To be eligible for a low-income welfare program, you must have a low income or a very low income. Low Income=Incomes do not exceed 80 percent of the median family income in the area... Very Low Income= Incomes do not exceed 50 percent of the median family income in the area.
-Traditional Welfare System is known as the TANF (Temporary assistance for Needy Families).
-There are 4,300,000 people on welfare and 46,700,000 people on food stamps.
Sources:
"Welfare Information." US Welfare System. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013.
"What Is Welfare & How Can It Help You?" What Is Welfare and How Can You Benefit? N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013.
Email to Professor Catharine Edwards, who teaches at the University of London:
Professor Catharine Edwards:
Hello, my name is Madeline. I am a middle school student in the United States. My class is doing a social studies project about how we can use our knowledge to solve some of the Roman Empire's biggest problems. My topic is the Roman welfare system. I have been researching this topic for about a week, and have found lot's of great information, however I still have a few questions, and was wondering if you could answer them!
Other than stating a maximum price for food, what other solutions did the Romans attempt to fix the problem?
In my research, I learned that people were issued tesserae, or tokens that could be used to get food. How did the government decide how may each person or family received?
If you decide to help me, you can reach me at madelineweitz@foresthills.edu. I apologize if this is not your area of expertise. Thank you for your time.
-People were issued welfare stamps, or tokens called tesserae.
-Romans were given wheat, flour, or bread already baked from other government facilities, and other foodstuff.
-Meat was given out on special occasions with special tokens.
-The subsidized staple food of Rome became immediately the weapon of choice for the ruler to stay in high favor with the crowd and to maintain control over the political power.
-Over time, more and more people took advantage over the free food.
-The Roman government spent millions on food and entertainment for the poor.
-Food had a price limit, so that merchants could not overprice the food, making it to expensive for plebeians.
-A congius was the portion of food the Romans received.
-Bread and Circuses- The government gave plebeians free food and entertainment, so they would not start a revolt.
-The food was payed for by Romans taxes. No new tax money was coming in, so they did not have enough to feed everyone.
-Emperor Trajan started the welfare program, and called it Alimenta.
Problem: Too many people were joining the welfare program. The government did not have enough money or food to give away.
Sources:
"The Evening Meal - Ancient Rome for Kids." The Evening Meal - Ancient Rome for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. <__http://rome.mrdonn.org/dinner.html__>.
Articlesbase.com. Articlesbase.com, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. <__http://www.articlesbase.com/economics-articles/will-us-repeat-the-welfare-death-of-the-roman-empire-2430640.html__>.
Current Research:
-American welfare system began during the Great Depression in the 1930’s.
-Many americans are unhappy with the welfare system, claiming that individuals are abusing the welfare program by not applying for jobs, having more children just to get more aid, or staying unmarried so as to qualify for greater benefits.
-Eligibility for the welfare program depends on net income, size of the family, and any crisis situation such as medical emergencies, pregnancy, homelessness or unemployment.
-The welfare system was federal, but control was given back to the states when Congress passed a reform law signed by President Clinton in 1996.
-The federal government gives a grant to each state to start their own welfare program.
-In some states, people in the welfare program are offered coaching in how to prepare for a job, or apply for one.
-To be eligible for a low-income welfare program, you must have a low income or a very low income. Low Income=Incomes do not exceed 80 percent of the median family income in the area... Very Low Income= Incomes do not exceed 50 percent of the median family income in the area.
-Traditional Welfare System is known as the TANF (Temporary assistance for Needy Families).
-There are 4,300,000 people on welfare and 46,700,000 people on food stamps.
Sources:
"Welfare Information." US Welfare System. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013.
"What Is Welfare & How Can It Help You?" What Is Welfare and How Can You Benefit? N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013.
Email to Professor Catharine Edwards, who teaches at the University of London:
Professor Catharine Edwards:
Hello, my name is Madeline. I am a middle school student in the United States. My class is doing a social studies project about how we can use our knowledge to solve some of the Roman Empire's biggest problems. My topic is the Roman welfare system. I have been researching this topic for about a week, and have found lot's of great information, however I still have a few questions, and was wondering if you could answer them!
If you decide to help me, you can reach me at madelineweitz@foresthills.edu. I apologize if this is not your area of expertise. Thank you for your time.
Madeline
Final Project:
Welfare Programs Final Project